Matthew Forbes

Cello

ORCHESTRAL TRIALS

Orchestra of Scottish Opera - Principal (2004)
Northern Sinfonia - Sub-principal cello (No.4), (2004 – 2005) - Subsequently regular extra
Philharmonia Orchestra - No. 5 (2003 – 2006) - Subsequently regular extra
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (2005 – 2006) - Subsequently regular extra
Hallé Orchestra (2007 – 2008)
Ulster Orchestra (2010)

ORCHESTRAL
Principal:

Philharmonia Orchestra for Music of Today series, Sept. 2009
Mid-Wales Opera guest principal cello. (UK tour 2007)
Opera Group ensemble: Principal cello for premiere season of Jonathan Dove’s The Enchanted Pig, (Young Vic and Richmond Theatres 2006-7)
London Gala Orchestra

Other:

Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields - including film recording sessions, tour of Japan (02) and Sounding Out education programme (03)
BBC Symphony and Concert Orchestras, (including BBC Proms 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2010)
Birmingham Royal Ballet Sinfonia
Brighton Philhamonic Orchestra
Britten Sinfonia
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
City of London Sinfonia
Deutsches Film Orchester Babelsburg at the Barbican, London (2006)
English Chamber Orchestra
English Festival Orchestra
English National Opera:

Satyagraha
Death in Venice
La Bohème
On the Town
Kismet

English Sinfonia
English Symphony Orchestra
Grange Park Opera Orchestra (2002-06)
London Soloists Chamber Orchestra
Orchestra of the Swan
Royal Opera House Orchestra:

La Gioconda & The Greek Passion (2004)
Cinderella (04/05)
Tristan und Isolde (04/05)
Royal Gala performance (05)
Giselle, La Juive
J. Parker Young Artists’ concert & session leader for education programmes (06-07)
Swan Lake, Mayerling (07)

Manning Camerata (founder member)
Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (including tours of Scandinavia (02) and Germany (06))
Scottish Chamber Orchestra (sitting no.2)
Southbank Sinfonia (extra player, 2003-4 season)

SESSION/RECORDING

Isobel Griffiths/Hans Zimmer (2002)
Sylvia Addison/Music Solutions (2005/6)
Crown Music (Vanessa Brown, vocals) 2007
String arranger and cellist for ‘Phatfish’ album Guaranteed (Survivor records 2007)
String arranger and regular player for Chappell Music Library/Zomba Music Production Ltd
String arranger for Survivor records and Orangeroom Music (since 2006)

CHAMBER MUSIC

Czardas Duo with accordionist Ian Watson

Supported by the Countess of Munster Recital Trust for 2001/2, commissioning five new works
Featured guest performers on BBC Radio 3 (2002)
Education work includes Spitalfields and Greenbelt Festivals.

Trelawn String Quartet – Quartet-in-Residence at Middlesex 2003-5

Used for inaugural season of the Wheeldon Company, Sadler’s Wells (2007).
Previous recital venues include Conway Hall, Wigmore Hall, St. James’, Piccadilly, The Stables Milton
Keynes and Bath Pump Rooms

Educational work includes Wigmore Hall nursery programme (2001) and workshops for the Cavatina Chamber Music Trust, Bromley, Westminster and Ealing Music Services.

London String Quartet Foundation education project, Organiser and participant 2003
Bobby Wellins Quintet - Guests on Jazz album Nine Songs

EDUCATION

Course director (Advanced, Performer and Intermediate courses) and cello teacher/conductor/member of residential and pastoral staff, Oxford Cello School since 1999
Leader of Improvisation, Composition, Songwriting, African drumming and world percussion workshop programmes for the Music Workshop Company
Co-ordinator of new Oxford Improvisation summer school (2007)
Leader of Performance Skills for non-musicians programme (Music Workshop Company, 2007)
Teacher of cello at Blackheath Conservatoire, London (since 2008)
Teacher of cello and chamber music at Uppingham School (2007-2010)
Teacher of cello at Winchester College (autumn term 2007)
Teacher of cello, double bass and chamber music, St. John’s Beaumont School, Windsor (2001-7)
Guitarist, mandolin player and caller for “Ceilidh for Kids” project (London Borough of Bexley) teaching traditional music and dances to schoolchildren. Projects also run in Westminster and Cambridgeshire.

SOLO/OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE:

Soloist for John Tavener’s The Protecting Veil, Greenbelt Festival 2009.
Cellist and percussionist for Viktoria Hansen’s London concerts 2007 (Favoured Nations production)
Deputy cellist for ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ at the London Palladium (2004/5)
Concerto soloist and principal cello of Petrus Ensemble (modern instrument Baroque ensemble) April 2005
Concerto soloist with Exeter University Chamber Orchestra on tour of France (1999)
Regular work as jazz pianist in London, having received tuition from Dominic Alldis
Pianist for the Vicky Gambleton Jazz Quartet

CONDUCTING

Viva orchestra for jazz collaboration, April 2008
Exeter University Chamber Orchestra

Performance of own orchestration of Rachmaninov’s Two Pieces Op. 2 (2000)
Paganini miniatures for Maurice Hasson and the Royal Academy Soloists
Yoshimatsu’s Atom Hearts Club Suite for cello orchestra.

FOLK MUSIC EXPERIENCE

Regular caller, technician, guitarist, mandolin, harmonica and tin whistles player for folk bands Och Aye, Footloose and Crewneck
Guitarist and mandolin player for Irish duo Eirann
Mandolin player for Mahler’s Seventh Symphony at the Royal Academy of Music (1997)
Tenor Banjo player for Status Cymbal 04/05

EDUCATION
1996 – 2000: Royal Academy of Music; First Class Honours BMus and LRAM teaching diploma. (Teachers Lionel Handy and Philip Sheppard)

AWARDS
F. Ayling Academic Prize (RAM, 1999), Burgess Prize for outstanding academic achievement, Marjorie Laempfert String Quartet Award, Development Award from the Friends of the Royal Academy of Music (2000)

SKILLS:
Holder of full UK driving licence and owner of car
French to A-level standard

The information contained in this CV is provided by the client of MAS.
MAS takes no responsibility for its accuracy.

Instruments
Cello, Accordion, Banjo, Bass Guitar, Chamber Organ, Church Organ, Double Bass, Guitar, Harmonica, Improvisation, Mandolin, Organ, Ukulele